Justin Bieber Passes Michael Jackson's Box-Office Record

'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' has outgrossed MJ's 'This Is It' in U.S.
By Gil Kaufman


Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

Michael Jackson may have dubbed himself the King of Pop, but the late icon didn't hold the box-office crown for long. Less than a year after the posthumous MJ documentary "This Is It" became the most successful concert-themed film in U.S. history, Justin Bieber is poised to snatch the mantle.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has earned $72.2 million in domestic box office so far, passing Jackson's $72.1 million haul. And while Bieber has racked up those impressive numbers in just six weeks, he's got a long way to go before he laps the global receipts for the MJ doc.

"This Is It" has grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Music films don't typically play well overseas, and THR noted that "Never Say Never" has grossed a more modest $10.8 million overseas so far, with Paramount executives predicting that it could top out around $20 million internationally.

The impressive U.S. numbers were likely goosed by the re-release of the film recently with 40 additional minutes of bonus footage from director Jon M. Chu. Bieber still has a little way to go to climb the list of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. "Never Say Never" is currently stalled out at the #3 position, around $5 million behind "March of the Penguins," according to Box Office Mojo, and well short of the all-time record held by Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which has taken in $119.1 million to date.

Bieber set off a classic MJ-style fan frenzy a few weeks ago when he visited Liverpool, England, for his world tour. And just a week later, he posed with his new wax figure at London's Madame Tussauds, checking off another item on the list of milestones to an MJ-like career.

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'Hunger Games' Star Jennifer Lawrence's First Photo As Katniss Revealed

Actress tells Entertainment Weekly she would 'regret it every day' if she had turned down high-profile role.
By Kara Warner


Jennifer Lawrence on the cover of <i>Entertainment Weekly</i>
Photo: Entertainment Weekly

The excitement surrounding the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' beloved best-seller "The Hunger Games" has hit a new high with the release of the first official photo of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen on the cover of this week's Entertainment Weekly.

In the photo, Lawrence is shown staring directly at the camera, with her long, now-dark hair in a braid, bow and arrow in hand, quiver over her shoulder, and mockingjay pin secured on her jacket. It also appears that Lawrence-as-Katniss is standing in the middle of a bright green forest.

The photo is accompanied by an interview with Lawrence, who described her first encounter with "Hunger Games" director Gary Ross during the height of Oscar season.

"He was asking me what the experience was like," she recalled, "and I just kind of opened up and said, 'I feel like a rag doll. I have hair and makeup people coming to my house every day and putting me in new, uncomfortable, weird dresses and expensive shoes, and I just shut down and raise my arms up for them to get the dress on, and pout my lips when they need to put the lipstick on.' And we both started laughing because that's exactly what it's like for Katniss in the Capitol. She was a girl who's all of a sudden being introduced to fame. I know what that feels like to have all this flurry around you and feel like, 'Oh, no, I don't belong here.' "

The 20-year-old Oscar nominee went on to say that when she was offered the role, she had mixed emotions about taking on such a high-profile character, but in the end, her passion for the project pushed her forward.

"I love this story," she said, "and if I had said no, I would regret it every day."

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'Thor' Hammers Out Another Winning Box-Office Weekend

The superhero flick powered its way to the top for a second straight week, while the chick-flick comedy 'Bridesmaids' debuted at #2.
By Ryan J. Downey


Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in "Thor"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

"Thor" held on to the top spot at the box office over the weekend while runner-up "Bridesmaids" surpassed industry expectations with an impressive $24.4 million debut, according to studio estimates.

Meanwhile, the new post-apocalyptic vampire film "Priest" floundered and a pair of indie flicks in limited release, "Everything Must Go" and "Hesher," posted up low per-screen averages.

Based on the Marvel Comics hero drawn from Norse mythology, "Thor" earned $34.5 million in its second weekend of release for a total take of $119.2 million. The action flick, starring Chris Hemsworth in the title role, helps set the stage for this summer's "The Avengers." It has earned $225 million worldwide.

Ninety percent of critics loved "Bridesmaids," according to Rotten Tomatoes, and the positive word of mouth generated since the film's South by Southwest festival screenings contributed to its #2 placement. "Saturday Night Live" veterans Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph lead an ensemble cast in the Judd Apatow-produced R-rated comedy, whose drawing power was underestimated by most industry analysts.

"Priest" opened even worse than "Legion," the 2010 fantasy thriller from the same director (Scott Charles Stewart) and featuring the same lead actor (Paul Bettany). "Priest" landed at #4 on the box-office chart after bringing in just $14.5 million.

As for the weekend's other new box-office entries, Will Ferrell's indie drama "Everything Must Go" made just $825,000 after playing in 218 theaters, while "Hesher," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson and Natalie Portman, made $127,000 in 40 theaters.

"Fast Five," by comparison, was in nearly 3,800 theaters. The Vin Diesel-led action heist flick dropped from #2 to #3 on the box-office tally over the weekend, but became the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, earning another $19.5 million for a $168.7 million total. Set in the same city as "Fast Five," "Rio" became the biggest animated movie of 2011 thus far with another $8 million in receipts, passing "Rango" with a $124.9 million domestic total.

In one more bit of noteworthy international news, Natalie Portman's award-winning ballet drama "Black Swan" crossed the $300 million mark worldwide thanks to its recent Japanese opening.

This weekend's new releases include "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which currently has earned a rotten 50 percent on the Tomatometer since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival; Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" (certified fresh at the moment by Rotten Tomatoes with 79 percent); and "Bloodworth."

Check out everything we've got on "Thor," "Bridesmaids" and "Fast Five."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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CBGB Biopic In The Works

Film will focus on New York club's irreverent late owner Hilly Kristal and the bands that got their start there.
By Gil Kaufman


Photo: MTV News

If you ever made it down to the legendary New York punk club CBGB, chances are you had a run-in with its legendarily irreverent, bearded owner, Hilly Kristal. Often perched at the entrance to the now-defunct ground zero of the city's punk movement, the unflappable, bespectacled Kristal was like a character out of a movie.

And now he will be.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new movie tentatively titled "CBGB" will focus on the late club owner and the explosive years of 1974 to 1976, when CBs helped birth the careers of everyone from the Ramones to the Talking Heads, Patti Smith and Television.

The movie will tell the story of the New York punk scene through the eyes of Kristal — who died in 2007 after a bout with lung cancer — and will be co-produced by the club owner's daughter, Lisa Kristal Burgman. The script is being written by the husband-and-wife team of Randall Miller and Jody Savin ("Bottle Shock"), with Savin slated to direct.

Kristal was a trained violinist who opened CBGB with the intention of booking country, bluegrass and blues bands (hence the name of the venue). But the dingy club on New York's rundown Bowery neighborhood soon became a hot spot for the then-emerging punk scene, helping it gain a foothold in America and serving as the launching pad for a variety of bands, including the Misfits, the Dead Boys, the Dictators, the Voidoids, the Cramps, Blondie and the Fleshtones. After years of declining influence, the club closed down in 2006 after a rent dispute with the Bowery Residents' Committee.

Given the "surrogate parent"-type relationship Kristal had with many of the acts that played at the venue, producers are confident that they will be able to get the music rights from the various bands who appear in the movie. The independent film is slated to start shooting later this year.

Are you interested in seeing a CBGB biopic? Tell us in the comments.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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